Judge To Reschedule Ex-Westar CEO Trial

DAVID TWIDDY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Four years after two former utility company executives were last tried, federal prosecutors are trying to get their case back on track.

They've asked U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson to set a third trial for David Wittig, former chief executive of Topeka-based Westar Energy Inc., and his chief lieutenant, Douglas Lake between Dec. 8 and March 29. Robinson will hold a hearing Monday to consider the request.

Wittig and Lake, who were forced out of the Westar in late 2002, are charged with conspiracy and circumvention of internal controls.

Those are the remaining charges in a case that once included wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors claim the two used a variety of schemes to boost their compensation at Westar and then attempted to hide their actions from company officials and regulators.

The men have denied wrongdoing and said the utility's board of directors knew what they were doing.

An attorney for Lake declined to comment Tuesday on the third trial while an attorneys for Wittig didn't immediately return a phone call for comment.